


Pitch of My Voice

by parolacce (peperima)



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-27
Updated: 2008-01-27
Packaged: 2017-10-19 03:01:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/196139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peperima/pseuds/parolacce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Squalo likes Xanxus because Xanxus knows that Squalo only rescued Dino so that he could kill that other boy. Xanxus knows that Squalo is no hero; he's a shark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pitch of My Voice

1. 

Squalo expends his rows of sharp teeth because his body vibrates to the frequency of the blade. It is the only way up the mountain, the only path he’d ever want to take in life. He fights without reason, fights ferociously, fights until he’s all but collapsed and still wants more. 

(The doctors don’t understand how the bloodlust within him runs without heed to his body. He doesn’t care; all he knows it’s another advantage at his disposal.)

The battlefield widens. He walks down unexplored roads lined with hidden children wary of a “boy with silver hair”. Then one day, he unconsciously saves the Cavallone heir, and suddenly he’s in the Cavallone mansion receiving a pat on the back he does not want. 

It’s the first time Squalo realizes he doesn’t want the attention because he’s getting it for all the wrong reasons. 

It’s the first time Squalo realizes he wants to fight for a function.

2. 

The attraction is without merit. 

Squalo tries to trip the new boy, the heir to the Vongola family, and finds his back to the wall instead, the Xanxus’ fingers crushing his jaw. 

“Leave,” Xanxus snarls to the boys shifting restlessly around them in fear and excitement. Squalo hadn’t even the time to notice them. 

Xanxus doesn’t turn around to see if they do – he  _expects_ it – doesn’t speak until the last rustle of sneakers against the floor disappears around the corner. 

“You!” Xanxus growls, “Do you know who I am?” 

“Do you know who I am?” Squalo barks back loudly. 

Xanxus slaps him hard, sends his cheek thudding against cool tile. “You’re Squalo,” he taunts, “The ruthless Squalo, the greatest fighter at the school, or so those suppliants told me this morning. Is this the extent of your so-called greatness? If so, it isn’t worth my time.”

Squalo punches Xanxus squarely on the nose. “Shut up. You want a fight, you got it!” 

Xanxus smirks despite the blood dripping down his face. “You saved that Cavallone boy, right? You saved that useless trash, or so all our elders think. But I’m sure you just did it to kill the other boy. Right place, right time, right? Tell me I’m right.” 

“Heeey, I never wanted to save that fucking boy,” Squalo snarls, “Fuck, I should have killed him too.” 

Xanxus puts two hands on his shoulders and pushes him back until Squalo’s head hits the tile again. “Tell me I’m right.” 

“Heeeey—”

“Humor me. Say it.” 

Squalo doesn’t know why he does it. Maybe he is intoxicated by the burning power gripping his shoulders relentlessly, maybe he is drunk on the fact that standing here is a man who sees past the Cavallone-incident and views Squalo as the bloodthirsty boy he really is. 

“You’re right.”

Xanxus smiles. 

3. 

In the dark of the night, the timid moon hides behind her cloudy sleeves to cover the sight of Squalo bleeding heavily on the ground. Or so that’s what Squalo thinks; he’s too tired to be proven otherwise. 

“Are you spent?” Xanxus smirks but Squalo thinks he’s tired too, his hands cracked and bleeding, the gash on his shoulder staining his shredded shirt. 

“G-God,” Squalo takes in a breath. “You think the doctors are asleep? Damn, you don’t have to take it that far at night.”

“You scared?” 

“I’m not fucking scared!” He tries to stand up. His chest feels ready to be split open. 

Xanxus laughs. “You’re out, all right. Here,” he tilts Squalo’s mouth open and pours down a burning liquid. 

“F-fuck!” Squalo gasps, “What the hell is that?” 

“You’ve had alcohol before with your tuna carpaccio.” 

“ _Wine_ , yeah – ” Squalo pants, reaching for more, “What the hell is this shit?” 

“Whiskey.” He relents, pushing the bottle in to Squalo’s hands. Squalo takes a large, messy gulp, feels the fire running through his veins, the pain numbing out. His mind is already dizzy. He’s cold too, the bottle freezing in his hands. 

Bloody fingers make their way to Xanxus’ chest, pulls him close. Xanxus’ fingers tangles through the dried blood in his hair, strokes his cheek needlessly, unnecessarily kind. It scares Squalo, but he’s too tired to think otherwise. He lays his head on Xanxus’ chest and hears his heart strumming. 

Xanxus laughs, pressing the bottle back to Squalo’s lips. “I haven’t gotten drunk in a long time.” 

4. 

“You’re a wreck,” Dino says, his eyes kind. 

Squalo grunts and tries to sit up despite his bandages. 

“So, what are you going to do now?” Dino asks. 

“Do what?” He takes to picking at his bandages instead. “Nothing’s changed.” 

“He laughed when you died! He’s  _frozen_  again!” The look on Dino’s face is nearly comical. Squalo doesn’t try to quell his laughter. “Squalo, why don’t you just join the Cavallone family? After this incident, I doubt they’d let Varia continue.” 

“The Cavallone family is the last place I’ll go.” 

Dino winces, looks to the side for a moment. “Look, the Cavallone family isn’t weak anymore. Just think about it –”

“No.” 

“ _Why?_ ” Dino’s voice comes out like the last breath of a wounded horse.  _Why are you doing this, why are you being so stubborn –_

“You have no ambition.” 

5. 

Squalo doesn’t like the bewildered look on Xanxus’ face the moment he is unfrozen. So he says, “Heeey, you’re the Vongola bastard!” and barely manages to stop the expected punch. He can feel the fury under those knuckles, can feel the tremor of power as his fists burst out in flames. It makes he grin, makes him hunger for the whistle of blade meeting flesh. 

“Fuck you,” Xanxus states, his hands yanking at Squalo’s hair, pressing bruising lips against his.  _Fuck you, I’ll take it by force._

It’s not the first time Squalo has his back against the wall.


End file.
